New photos show the supersonic X-59 parked on the track at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California. The aircraft was moved from the construction site to the test area on June 19.

Details about the X-59

The event kicks off a series of ground tests as part of NASA’s Quest mission, which aims to demonstrate that the aircraft can fly faster than the speed of sound (or Mach 1) to ensure the X-59 is safe and ready to fly. sonic booms that often create supersonic aircraft.

NASA will fly the X-59 over several settlements to collect data on people’s responses to the sound produced during supersonic flight. NASA will likely share data with US and international regulators to enable commercial supersonic flights over land.
– says in the statement of the space agency.

Expected to be supersonic for people on the ground an X-59 jet causes only a slight slam, the equivalent of a nearby car door slamming. By comparison, previous generations of supersonic aircraft were known to shake residential windows when flying over them at speeds higher than the speed of sound.

As such, the X-59 could open new opportunities for faster commercial cargo and passenger air travel, paving the way for new rules for supersonic flight over land.

X-59 supersonic aircraft / Photo by Lockheed Martin

X-59 supersonic aircraft / Photo by Lockheed Martin